Rome tours and MSC

[olesiabr]

I need help from the cruise critic community!

 

My cousin and I will be on Preziosa, scheduled for Civitavecchia on April 18. I had my tour all picked out (CBM guided walking tour) after perusing the Rick Steve's guidebook, only to find that it is not available for those traveling on MSC. Apparently other cruise ships get to port much earlier!

 

Many of the top rated tours on trip advisor are also not available for that date/time.

 

Any advice? There are only two of us and my preference would be to join a group as a private tour is prohibitive. There is absolutely no action on the roll call.

 

Is it time to throw in the towel and book a shore excursion through the ship?

 

Thanks!

 

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[AmoMondo]

If I were you, I'd DIY with a decent map (I like Insight's Fleximaps), but that's just me.

 

If you want a tour, your options might be to wait until you get onboard. And meet your table companions as you may be able to organise something together. That only works though if Romes is one of the later ports of call and you've asked to be seated at a bigger table. If that doesn't work then book a shored from MSC. They usually take bookings right up to 24 hours before. Some tours get cancelled though as not enough English speaking passengers book them to reach the minimum number. Sometimes they get combined with another language if the tour guide is multi lingual.

 

A plan B or C may be to either book the MSC Fome on your own transfer and the. Get on the HOHO bus or if you're feeling braver, get the train in and do the HOHO bus.

[olesiabr]

Thanks, we're going DIY for all the other ports, Rome just seems more difficult with the distance. I have a 300euro quote from a private company (not including admission to colosseum and Vatican). A comparable ship tour is $130 pp on a bus, so not much different.

 

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[AmoMondo]

Thanks, we're going DIY for all the other ports, Rome just seems more difficult with the distance. I have a 300euro quote from a private company (not including admission to colosseum and Vatican). A comparable ship tour is $130 pp on a bus, so not much different.

 

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My friend was less adventurous than I am about complete DIY, she was worried we'd mess up the train back, so I compromised and we did the Rome on Your Own with MSC. It is less than half the price of a tour and no risk of it being cancelled due to lack of English speakers booking since all nationalities can go on in. They drop you off (or at least they used to) at a multi storey car park (with bathrooms and cafes) which is around a 5 minute walk to the back of the Vatican. It is a shop walk from there to theHOHO bus as well (you need to buy your ticket before boarding from a shop opposite the stop)

 

Personally I'd have been happy with the train but he does give you more time on the ground and requires less thought and planning about how to get back. All you have to remember is where to go back for the bus and when you have to be there.

Edited January 22, 2016 by AmoMondo

[olesiabr]

Thanks, that may be a good "happy medium". If I may ask, how much time did that tour give you in Rome, and did you just walk everywhere or take public transit between sites?

 

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[tomvet]

MSC time in Civitavecchia is usually only 9 or 10 hours compared to 12 -14 hours that other lines do.

 

When on NCL we had 14 hours we used the train and managed to see and visit ST Peter's Basilica, and see the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Victor Emmanuel Monument, Coliseum, Pantheon, Piazza Navona.

 

In Nov we had just 10 hours in port an between time 'wasted' waiting for the next train and building in contingency time (i.e. taking the 3pm train so if there is a problem, you know the 4pm train is behind you and you can still get back in time!) - we only had enough time to do an interior visit to the Coliseum.

 

On an MSC cruise I would not embark on an ambitious sightseeing tour of Rome if using the train. Pick a sight and do it in detail like the Coliseum, or Vatican museum, Borghese.

 

If you wish to visit any of the above, make sure you get a timed ticket.

 

If you wish to take an 'overview' tour, then take the 'Romeon your own' excursion as previously advised - you will have more time in Rome as you don't have to allow 'wasted' or 'contingency' time!

[olesiabr]

Good advice!

I'd really like to see the Vatican and the colosseum, so it sounds like if I do the bus tour through msc, and get timed ticket for the first, I can accomplish my goal

 

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[t_car]

I would definitely do the tour through MSC if you are looking to visit both the colosseum and the vatican. A little risky time wise on your own.

With ship sponsored tours, you may be allowed to be one of the first to disembark the ship too, save some time.

Too bad only a 10 hour stop. I would love it if Rome (Civitavecchia) were an overnight stop. The evenings, nightlife in the various piazzas is awesome.

We spent 5 days in Rome prior to our Mariner OTS cruise, and will return again someday.

[tomvet]

I would definitely do the tour through MSC if you are looking to visit both the colosseum and the vatican. A little risky time wise on your own.

With ship sponsored tours, you may be allowed to be one of the first to disembark the ship too, save some time.

Too bad only a 10 hour stop. I would love it if Rome (Civitavecchia) were an overnight stop. The evenings, nightlife in the various piazzas is awesome.

We spent 5 days in Rome prior to our Mariner OTS cruise, and will return again someday.

 

Good point, I have never seen Civitavecchia as an o/night port - it would have a lot to offer however the cruiselines would lose a mint with passengers spending their money in the bars on the Piazzas and not on the ship!

[tomvet]

Good advice!

I'd really like to see the Vatican and the colosseum, so it sounds like if I do the bus tour through msc, and get timed ticket for the first, I can accomplish my goal

 

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I honestly don't think you will manage both on a 'Rome on your own' transfer from ship to Rome.

 

The ship may offer an expensive (I imagine) tour that visits both but even that will hit the spots in patches only!

What ever you choose, do one and do it well and do the other on your next cruise :D

[olesiabr]

Good advice, and who wouldn't want to plan another cruise!?

 

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[t_car]

Good point, I have never seen Civitavecchia as an o/night port - it would have a lot to offer however the cruiselines would lose a mint with passengers spending their money in the bars on the Piazzas and not on the ship!

 

That is not that odd. Some ships out of Venice do an overnight at the beginning or end of the cruise.

I'm sure there are other ports that do the same.

[bearette]

Another option is to take a taxi from the dock. They're lots of them waiting to fill a taxi for

$20 a person once you take the bus from the ship to the port gates. You can probably negotiate a pick up time to get back to the ship and maybe drive you over from the Vatican to the Colosseum. They are on complete opposite ends of the city so I would just stick with one personally. Vatican needs a times ticket or don't bother. If you want to try to both then you could do this. For the Colosseum you can visit the near by Capital/ Palentine Hill which will have a shorter line if you want to buy a ticket by walking up. About a block up from the Colosseum is the entrance.

Honestly without luggage the train is simple. I did it with twin toddlers with luggage for embark/disembarkation. Just know the timetable of the train which you can research here before you go.